| Unit name | Learning, Technology and Society |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EDUCM0039 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52) |
| Unit director | Professor. Manchester |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Education |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Sociotechnical changes create a wide range of challenges and opportunities for educators and those who support learning around the world. Digital technologies (such as credit-card sized computers, digital games, mobile devices, massive online open courses, robots, social media, tangible technologies) are increasingly becoming embedded in our societies and being used for a wide range of purposes in educational settings. This unit will provide a critical introduction to debates about the relationship between learning, technology and society, examining sociotechnical change with a focus on the past, present and the future.
This unit assumes that we cannot understand technology without reference to the concept of ‘society’, a term that requires careful theoretical reflection. The unit therefore explores a range of theoretical approaches concerning learning, technology and society, and encourages students to analyse current debates about technology from a variety of perspectives. The unit then applies these theories in a variety of learning contexts, in educational policies and in practices. The underlying assumption is that the meaning of all of the terms in the unit title cannot be taken for granted and that they should be subject to critical inquiry using a wide-ranging literature.
The aims for this unit are:
On completion of this unit students will be able to demonstrate that they can:
Teaching will adopt a blended approach involving a mix of face to face lectures with group work and activities provided online. Social media will also be used to support learning. Reflective practice is key to the teaching and learning experience – students will be asked to keep a reflective learning diary that will become their reflective critique at the end of the course unit.
Contact Hours:
20 hours
Summative assessment:
For this unit students are required to submit two pieces of work. Both pieces of work are assessed as 50% and will receive individual feedback and a literal grade mapped against the fixed point numerical scale used in the Graduate School of Education. These two grades will create an overall weighted grade used to determine the overall unit grade. NB - This numerical weighted grade will be mapped back onto the literal grading scale.
Part 1: A 2000 word reflective critique demonstrating critical engagement with the theories, concepts and methods introduced on the course and their application in a range of settings. Students will be given guidelines on keeping a journal throughout the course and it will be made clear that students must go beyond description to critically reflect on their own learning processes throughout the course unit. (Weighted as 50%)
Part 2: A 2000 word academic essay theoretically examining an ‘educational technology’, a technology practice or an educational policy document. Students will be expected to critically apply theories and concepts learnt on the course. (Weighted as 50%)
